Thursday, November 21, 2013

The problems plaguing HealthCare.gov saturate the news cycle as one story after another documents the difficulties uninsured Americans are encountering as they attempt to sign up for health insurance coverage on the online federal exchange. The question that comes to mind as I hear the stories about low sign-up rates due to glitches on the exchange is why wasn't HealthCare.gov built in the image of medicare.gov?

We are currently in Medicare's open enrollment period, October 15th to December 7, and I have been working with beneficiaries to sign them up or review their current plan options through medicare.gov, Medicare's official website. The website works seamlessly as I research its databases to find available plans; review costs and benefits; screen beneficiaries for Extra Help or Prescription Advantage, the federal and state federal assistance programs that help low-income and low-asset beneficiaries with Medicare Part D drug plan costs; and provide enrollment assistance.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

In 2017, Vermont is expected to launch Green Mountain Care (GMC), its mostly payroll-tax financed, single-payer healthcare system, in which the state instead of private insurers will cover healthcare costs. Providers will be allocated a set budget for a set number of patients, as the state phases out the current fee for service system that reimburses providers for each task they perform.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

There are 1.5 million people in nursing homes throughout the nation, and the population is expected to grow by 40% over the next decade.

Source: auroragov.org

For those seeking a tool that assesses the state of these facilities as they or their relatives consider entering one, there's a guide in Families for Better Care's recent report that evaluates each state's care delivery. Organized as a report card, the document assigns a letter grade to each state. Topping the report's list with A's are Alaska, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Oregon, Maine, Utah, Idaho, South Dakato and North Dakota. Earning F's are Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Michigan, Nevada, Illinois and Iowa.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Lately, there has been a flurry of activities on the issue of child marriage in various parts of the world, including Africa.In July, the Nigerian legislature attempted but failed to repeal a provision in its constitution that allows child marriage. Sen. Ahmed Yerima, who married a 13-year-old Egyptian child in 2010 at age 49 after paying a $100,000 dowry, successfully foiled the repeal by framing it as an attack on Islam.

Meanwhile in Swaziland, a soccer player was arrested for violating the country's 2012 Child Protection and Welfare Act, which banned marriages between young women under age 18 and adult men. Violators face an R20,000 ($2,000) fine, statutory rape charges, the marriage's annulment and up to 20 years imprisonment. Colluding parents face similar charges.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Marshall Kettelhut, who lives with the challenge of managing a multitude of serious conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and irregular heartbeat — as well as bouts of anxiety and depression, frequently gets sneak peaks into how chronic diseases will be managed in the future.